David hough



TTED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE;

DAVID HOUGH, JR., or New YORK, N. Y.

LADYS SKIRT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 4,584-, dated J une 16, 1846;Antedated June 8, 1846.

T 0 all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID HOUGH, Jr., ofthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Fabric for Ladies Skirts, and that the following is afull, clear, and eXact` description of the principle or character whichdistinguishes them from all other things before known and of the mannerof making, constructing, and using the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a representation of the cloth, and Fig. 2, is an edge view.

The nature of my invention consists in the employmentof sisal or Manilahemp in an untwisted state, or with only a suiicient turn to hold in theends while drawing it into the plain cotton or other suitable fabric ofwhich the skirt is made, so that it shall form an elastic spring and beperfectly pliable, and always retain its elasticit-y in one directionwhile it is perfectly flexible in the other, can be Washed withoutinjury, and will set out the dress suiiiciently without padding orstarching the fabric. It has long been considered a1 desideratum toobtain a fabric that would hold its elasticity and stiffness withoutstarch after it is washed and still allow sufficient pliability for theconvenience of the wearer. This cannot be effected by a cotton corddrawn in, which is only stiff when starched, and is very rigid anduncomfortable; and when it is stitily starched it is not flexible in anydirection, but by the combination of the materials which I have made,every desirable object is effected,

My improved fabric is a plain cotton cloth, as shown by the accompanyingdrawings, and at a distance of about an inch and a half (more or less)apart, I draw in with the filling, or into welts formed therein, aquantity of sisal or Manila hemp sufficient to produce the requiredstiffness. In drawing in this fiber great care is required to prevent itfrom kinking, and it must be held firmly till the hemp is closed uponit; this process forms the article which possesses all the desiredrequisites. The skirt when made for wear is composed of a series ofbands of hemp alternated with the plain cloth running horizontallyaround it, and thus forming a series of elastic rings causing it alwaysto assume its proper shape as soon as any pressure that displaces it isremoved, while its perfect flexibility in the direction contrary to thatin which the bands run allows it to adjust itself to any change ofposition.

Having thus fully described my improvements and their application, whatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The employmentof bands of sisal or Manila hemp with a fabric of cotton or othersuitable cloth, so as to form a series of hori- Zontal springs around askirt while the skirt is left perfectly pliable in its length, and canbe washed without removing the bandsconstructed and combined in themanner and 1 for the purpose described.

DAVID HOUGH, JR, Witnesses:

C. W VAILE,

R. G. SHURTLEFF,

